Minnesota Public Radio Stories

• Disclosure forms offer little information about lawmakers' outside jobs
  An MPR News analysis of the disclosures by current and incoming lawmakers finds that the forms do not provide meaningful information that could alert the public to potential conflicts of interest.6:20 a.m.
• Consolidating power, Dems. at Capitol say budget is priority No. 1
  new legislative session gets under way this week, with Democrats running the show for the first time in 25 years. That means Gov. Mark Dayton, a Democrat, will work with a DFL-controlled House and Senate that should be more receptive to his tax and spending proposals.6:50 a.m.
• Proposed NHL lockout ice-breaker gives hope to St. Paul businesses
  Many downtown St. Paul businesses are watching anxiously as National Hockey League owners and the players' union each prepare to take up a proposed deal that may end this season's lockout.7:20 a.m.
• NHL getting ready to play again
  NHL management and the union representing players are expected to ratify a deal ending the lockout later this week. Cathy Wurzer discussed the situation with Mike Russo who covers the Minnesota Wild for the Star Tribune.7:24 a.m.
• Drought's dry soil causes Minnesota homes to sink
  From Rochester, Minn., to Sioux Falls, S.D., homeowners have reported shifting foundations and cracks in basements and walls related to the drought.7:45 a.m.

National Public Radio Stories

• U.S. Murder Rate Declines, But Chicago's Goes Up
  Steve Inskeep talks to NPR Justice Correspondent Carrie Johnson and Alex Kotlowitz, author of There Are No Children Here, about the jump in the 2012 Chicago homicide rate, and what it means for the nationwide rate.
• Ohio Rape Allegations Spread Through Social Media
  More than a thousand protesters turned up in the Ohio River town of Steubenville over the weekend, spurred by a blogging and Twitter campaign that's focused on rape allegations involving high-school football players. Social media has taken the case well beyond the small eastern Ohio town, sparking international tension.
• Starbucks Joins Designer Trend With Rodarte Collaboration
  The coffee giant recently partnered with the Rodarte fashion house to offer a holiday collection. It's the latest example of high-end designers teaming up with mass-market retailers to make money while showing their work to a broader audience.
• Colo. Task Force Navigates New Pot Rules
  Recreational marijuana may be legal in Colorado after voters approved it last November. But there are still no rules on where or how to buy it. That's just one of the many issues facing a task force in the state.
• Why Exercise May Do A Teenage Mind Good
  Researchers find that when young people exercise, their mental health improves through a more positive self-image and through winning friends. But sports psychologists aren't sure whether exercise makes teenagers more confident or more confident teenagers take part in sports.
• Triage System Helps Colleges Treat Mentally Ill Students
  Over the past decade, colleges and universities across the country have seen an influx of students with mental health needs. Some campus health centers are exploring new systems to help meet the growing demand for services.
• Schmidt, Richardson Visit North Korea
  Google chairman Eric Schmidt is visiting the Hermit Kingdom, where few people have ever been allowed to access Google, let alone the billions of web pages it can search for information. Schmidt is part of a delegation led by former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson.
• A Strong Voice For Brazil's Powerful Farmers
  Brazil is now a world power when it comes to food production. And a leading symbol of that might is Katia Abreu, a senator, landowner and head of the country's most powerful Big Agro association. But environmentalists say limits need to be placed on the farming industry in order to protect the forests of the Amazon.
• 2013 CES: Lenovo Unveils Tabletop Tablet
  At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Lenovo showed off its IdeaCenter Horizon PC. It's a 27 inch touch-screen computer that is so big it can double as a game board.
• Hagel Expected To Be Picked As Defense Secretary
  President Obama is expected to nominate former GOP Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska as Defense secretary. The potential nomination of Hagel has already drawn sharp criticism, particularly from fellow Republicans.

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